Results of treatment of esophageal carcinoma in 110 patients in north-west Iran

Background: Esophageal carcinoma is one of the most common lethal malignancies in north and northwest Iran. It is usually advanced in presentation and is rarely diagnosed in the early stages. The aim of this article is to describe the clinicopathological features and survival of esophageal carcinoma in the advanced and early stages. Methods: One hundred and ten patients (49 men and 61 women) with esophageal carcinoma treated by surgery and combination therapies in a referral hospital were studied over a 5-year period. The clinicopathological features, treatment received, complications of the treatment and survival data of these patients and also the time of diagnosis, stage of cancer, demographic features, surgical therapy and survival were analyzed. Results: Among the I 10 patients with esophageal cancer who were undergone surgery, there was none in stages 0 and 1. The frequency of patients in stages 2, 3, and 4 were 21%, 70% and 9%, respectively. Of the tumors, 87% were squamous cell carcinomas and 13% adenocarcinomas. Anastomotic leakage and pneumonia were the most common operative complications. The 5-year survival rate in this study was 2.7%. Conclusion: Most of the esophageal cancers in north-west Iran are detected in the late stages and the survival rate is lower than reported in other studies. Screening and education in order for early detection are important preventive interventions in this region.